MESSIAH READER

NOVEMBER 2008

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From the Pastor:<= /b>

Gr= ace and Peace to you, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:

In the ongoing life of the church, during November we take time to say, “Thank You, O God, for all the blessings You have given us.”&nb= sp; If we were to take time to count them all we would be busy every moment of our lives, because every moment is gift from You and every mo= ment is a blessing.

On Thanksgiving Day at our house, we alway= s think of the old hymn, Count Your Blessings. “Whe= n upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost: Cou= nt your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” And, oh how true that is.

As many of you probably know, I spent the = last two weeks in October, and others from Messiah Church spent the last wee= k, in the Mississippi Gulf Coast, working with folks recovering from Hurri= cane Katrina, now over 3 years ago. &n= bsp; To see people still recovering, and yet their spirits are not broken, makes me wonder if I could do it.   And yet, this is what gi= ves me the desire to be a part of such a worthwhile project – to take so= me of the resources, time, and talents that have been given to me, and to share them with others in their time of need.

As we head into the Winter months, I pray = that the Lord will give you courage and strength to keep living for Him, and= to keep sharing the blessing that He has entrusted to each of us.

       &nb= sp;            =             G= race and Peace:

       &nb= sp;            =             P= astor Hughes

For you baseball fans (at the beginning of World Series play) think on this one.

Several years after Sandy Koufax retired, = he was interviewed by a young reporter. Koufax answered all the reporter's questions willingly. As the interview drew to a close, the reporter sai= d, "Just one last question, Mr. Koufax. What was your favorite pitch = when you had the bases full behind you?"

       &nb= sp;        Mr. Koufax answered with a perfectly straight face, "My boy, I don't recall ever having to pitch with the bases full."     (Contributed. Source unknown.)

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     Greetings fo= r the month of November! As I type this (10/15/08), I believe that Octo= ber has been a good month. We had a fun time = at Red Robin and Sports Emporium for the end of September. Our meet= ings for October have been lively, informational, Christ-seeking, and fun.&n= bsp; We appreciate all of Randy Speer's help with helping us with the practi= ces and singing of the "Thank you for Giving to the Lord" song by= Ray Boltz on October 12th. Randy and those eight youth who sang that = day did a great job. But, where were all the other youth that practic= ed on those other Wednesday nights? I talked about commitment with o= ur YF tonight. I see three parts to youth ministry:

a.) attendance at chu= rch and youth meetings

b.) service projects

c.) social programs

    I see youth and pa= rents so involved with other activities that church is not a priority anymore= and that is a real concern. Church is not like a service club. = We do things with our church out of response for what Christ has done for = us, and because we have an ongoing relationship with that Savior! Whe= re is that commitment? Jocye continues to go the first two Tuesdays = of each month and leads the youth that show up at the local food bank, whi= ch is an ever growing program in Shippensburg. I see youth at YF tha= t I don't often see at church; I also can count on those youth showing up to social functions. There has to be more vital commitment to the attendance at church and in service.

     This Saturday only two of us will hand out leaflets about the CROP walk= at the Halloween Parade. I know a lot of youth are in the area bands that night. Then on Sunday we have the actual walk. If we ha= ve at least eight youth going, then we will go to the Hairy Hand program at Pine Grove Furnace State Park on the 25th. We will leave the Timo= thy House at 5:30 and return by 9:15. On October 29th we will go on a Wednesday night to the Haunted House at the Fairgrounds, youth will hav= e to pay for this this year.

     On November 14-16 we will be going to the Great Escape in Camp Hill.&nb= sp; Twelve youth and three chaperones will be going. We will leave the Timothy House at 4:30 on Friday and return by 12:30pm on Sunday. Youth will need meal money for Friday night and Sunday lunch, and their final amounts for the $145.00 cost is due on November 1st. Permis= sion slips are due by October 22nd at YF that night. There will be no YF on = Wed. November 26th (day before Thanksgiving), and we will be doing the Sunday afternoon program at the Shippensburg Health Care Center on Sunday Nove= mber 30th at 2pm.

     I want to thank all the people who have been providing our weekly meals (Holly Folgelsanger, Michelle Wolford, Rhonda Washinger, and Marcie Taylor). They have been absolutely terrific!!   (we still have numerous sign up dates for meals). In addition I would like to thank the church for purchasing a new van (used but new to us!). I know other groups use it as well, but we really will use = it a lot, so thanks!   That in conjunction with the 2nd van are bo= th a really big blessing!

     Please have all the youth play a stronger commitment in the YF and chur= ch programs! Have a great November, be thankful, and keep and s= hare your faith!

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Operation Christmas child: God is at work in the world through the gift o= f a shoebox into the life of a child. You can take part in spreading the gospel= to future generations by packing a shoebox with simple gifts. Each shoebox is accompanied by a booklet explaining who Jesus is, printed in the child̵= 7;s own language. The deadline to fill your shoebox/es this year will be Sunday, November 16^th. Fli= ers with a list of what to pack and what not to pack are available on the bulle= tin boards and at each door. Place all completed shoeboxes on the designated ta= ble in Fellowship Hall.

= On The Road With Jesus (Discipleship)

= Danny Lemons, Pastor of Discip= leship Ministries

dflemons1@juno.com

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     Every day t= he headlines remind us of the financial woes of our country. Make no bones about it—= this means there are people suffering.&nbs= p; I saw it as I watched employees of one company which had gone u= nder clean out their offices and leave with their jobs and their pensions gone. It becomes increas= ingly more obvious that people all around us are in pain and not just from t= he economy. Sickness, failed relationships, shattered dreams are all too common.

It is not just th= ose outside our church family either.&nbs= p; Some of you who are reading this newsletter are in pain. It may not be physical pain, = though there is plenty of that. There are family struggles--husbands and wives, parents and children. There = are financial struggles and job worries. There are spiritual struggles. Indeed, every struggle has its spiritual dimension. In = some way it impacts our faith, our spirit, our relationship with God.<= /o:p>

     The longer I live, the more I realize that the very nature of life in a world invad= ed by sin assures pain in all its ugly and sickening power.

     The Bible h= as a lot to say about pain and suffering.&= nbsp; From a Biblical/Christian perspective there are two dangers we = face in a pain-filled world.       &= nbsp;

     First, pain= is a threat to our faith. Or perhaps, more precisely, our reaction to pain can cloud our relationsh= ip to God. We can begin to = think that God has deserted us or that he doesn't care. Or what is equally as devasta= ting, we conclude He can't do anything about it (that was the answer that a pop= ular book promoted). To be le= ft to deal with it alone because God doesn't care or can't help is spiritual disaster.

     Second, to = seek to avoid pain at any cost is the ultimate spiritual folly. It is the course more of us a= re inclined to pursue. How = does it make me feel? We seek= what gives me pleasure or avoids trouble for me (or perhaps those close to me). Carried to its extr= eme, every thing is approached with a motivation that is totally self-centered.

The Bible acknowl= edges that God's people suffer, but not without help from God. In fact, I Peter proclaims the possibility by God's grace of joy in the midst of pain (I Peter 1:6).<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> More importantly, God can and= does use suffering to achieve his purposes.

But the good news= is that pain/suffering is of limited duration. It will end because God's fin= al plan includes a life where there is no pain, sorrow, or tears.

     He will wipe every tear from their eyes.= There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for = the old order of things has passed away. Rev. 21:4

In the meantime, = let us be there for one another, pray for one another, and live in joyful hop= e, as we seek to become fully devoted followers of Jesus.

Do you need help on a project? Do you need a Sunday School =

teacher? Do you need help in putting on a church supper?

Picture your needs printed here in the classified ads. Just make

your needs known to the editor and we’ll get it in the next

newsletter.

2009 = BONUS BOOKS The Bravehearts Relay for Life Team now has 2009 Bonus Books available. Proceeds benefit the American Canc= er Society. The cost of the Bonu= s Book is $30.00. Bonus Books pay for themselves very quickly – just by using a couple of the coupons ̵= 1; use the three $5.00 coupons for The Butcher Shoppe and you have paid for ½ of the cost of your book. If you plan to take in a show at Allenberry, visit Six Flags Great Adventure Park, the Whitaker Center, Lake Tobias Wildlife Park, or enjoy a Hershey Bears hockey game, a Bonus Book offers buy one, get one free admiss= ion, just to name a few of the many great deals. A Bonus Book would make a great Christmas gift for the “hard-to-buy-for”. If you like to eat out, or if golf= is your game, you should check one out! If you are interested in a Bonus Book or have questions, please cont= act Kevin and Rhonda Wolford (532-7362). Other team members that have the books available are: Paul & Diane Craig, Bruce & Joyce Levy, Dena Martin, and Sean & Michelle Wolford. Thank you for your support!=

WELCOME CENTER: What a wonderful job our “Spotters” do each Sunday along with the ushers in locating

new faces in our congregation and welcoming them to worship with Messiah! I can’t imagine anyone new c= oming to

our worship on Sunday and not feeling cared for and wanted. However, the Welcome Center in the= rear of the Church

needs some volunteers. Each Sunday = after church, visitors are asked to visit the Welcome Center. If they have been

contacted by a “Spotter” then that visit is not necessary, but what if th= ey have been accidentally missed? All I need is

five minutes of your time any Sunday after church to stand at the Welcome Center= and greet any visitors who have been

missed. The center has a lot of information about Messiah. Give this requ= est some prayerful thought. If you would be

willing to serve, please contact me at linkev@pa.net or call 532-6635. Thank you, Linda Sn= ider.

There are Messiah UM Church replicas still available for purchase. = If you’d like one, see or call Sue Kaufman (532-7631). They are $30.00 e= ach, please make checks to Messiah UM Church and mark church replica in memo spa= ce.

FOR SALE: Messiah Church Cookbooks ($5.00) See Beth Evitts or Sharon Alexander

MESSIAH MUGS FOR SALE<= /span>: Extra maroon mugs are ready for sale for $5.00 each with Messiah’s logo on them. What a great way to advertise your church and tell someone about Jesus. Mugs will be displayed at the back of church and in Fellowship Hall. These mugs have been purchased for our guests and are part of our new Welco= me Brochure package that guests receive. Check them out! Many thanks to the Greeter Ministry team for the hard work of creating the Welcome Brochures, which hold important information about our church.

RIDES: Volunteers needed to provide rides= to those individuals unable to transport themselves (ex: appointments, worship services, etc. Contact Fran N= orton at 532-8218.

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PRAYER CHAINS: The Prayer Chains a= re here to support you and your prayer concerns. If you desire to activate the prayer chains call Novia Norton (532-8218) or, if unavailable, Call Merry J= ean Beres (532-7548) or Betty Beckenbaugh (532-4846). When possible it is appre= ciated when prayer requests are subm= itted between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.= m. Novia’s answering machine will be on when she is away from the phone = for a short period of time. If she is going to be out-of-town for more than a d= ay, she will leave word with Merry Jean and/or Betty.

***The church office a= ccepts empty inkjet printer cartridges. They can be dropped off in the office or t= he recycle baskets located at church entrances.

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<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'>11/3 Todd & Wendy Ham= maker

<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'>11/9 Cliff & Ryanne H= ouser

<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'>11/11 William & Karen Blauser

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<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'>11/18 &n= bsp; Leroy & Frances Jones

<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'>11/23 &n= bsp; Larry & Anne Hinkle

1^st Brenda Gabler

= Evelyn Reed

2^nd Jean Burkholder

3^rd Tona= y Funk

4^th Lois Bock

5^th Elizabeth Raezer&= nbsp;

6^th Esther Lightfoot

= Mary Burkholder

= Frank Alexander

Scott Richardson=

8^th Dorothy McCoy

Lindsey Wagner

= Chris Johnson

9^th Lisa Black

10^th Dennis Landi

12^th Conner Mowers

&n= bsp; Mason Mowers

&n= bsp; Peg Shaffer

13^th Twila Mowery

&n= bsp; Debra Heckman

16^th Clyde Holtry

17^th Ellis Raezer

18^th Sheri Albright

19^th Sally Long

20^th Rachael Young

22^nd Tom Whisenand

23^rd Frances Jones

&n= bsp; Andrea Hammaker

&n= bsp; Wade Kemp

&n= bsp; Rod Shaffer

25^th Joe Hockersmith

Tom Evitts

&n= bsp; George Wagner

&n= bsp; Terrie Thompson

27^th Jeff Traini

28^th Novia Norton

&n= bsp; Pam McLaughlin

Er= in Hockersmith

29^th Holly Fogelsanger

?????????????????????????????????????????????????= ???????????????

Here’s a riddle for you!

What do you make that uses 90 pounds of Crisco, 70 pounds of brown sugar and

150 batches of hand-mixed dough….? Answer: 1000 APP= LE DUMPLINGS

A BIG THANK YOU

To all those who made, sold and bought apple Dumplings= to support the Messiah Mission Trip to the Gulf Coast. We made a little over 1000 apple dumplings, profits were approx= imately $2000.00. This project will make a difference in the lives of people who ha= ve little hope left of having a home!

Special thanks to ROD and PEG SHAFFER who picked 16 bu= shels of apples and had them donated for this worthy cause.

To the 16 ladies and gentlemen who gave of their time…. Thanks for the memories! Working together was fun and we all learned that we can count up to 1000. God blessed our time together with wonderful fellowship and a sense = of satisfaction that we were working to help lives be blessed.

The question that remains after the apple dumplings are gone….Are there any more?

We’ll rest pondering that one… Blessings, Jan Hughes

= = The Heart of Thanksgiving

= = By: Alana Lemons=

= I could hear the organ playing “Come Ye Thankful People Come” as I entered the church = with my family for our annual Thanksgiving service.

&n= bsp; = ; Dressed in my nice, warm clothes, I was starting to get that “thankful” feeling most people get around Thanksgiving.

&n= bsp; = ; It wasn’t hard for me to feel thankful.= I had left a new brick house warm and fragrant with pumpkin pies and persimmon pudding. I could im= agine the smell of turkey roasting—all plump with cornbread stuffing—= when I awoke on Thanksgiving morning.

&n= bsp; = ; Some Thanksgivings were spent at home, but most were at grandma’s house. If it was cold, hogs would be butc= hered and hanging to drain by the time we arrived. Other than the time we ate our fea= st, the day would be spent cutting and preparing the meat. With no freezers, it had to be can= ned or cured.

= Hams would be salted, peppered and packed in wooden troughs in the smokehouse for curing. Liver was cooked and = made into liver pudding, and lots of cracklings used in cornbread were cooked in= an old black pot. Every part of = the hog was used—pickled pig feet, fried pork skins, lard, and yes, even = the brains.

&n= bsp; = ; We always had fresh brains for breakfast after hog butchering. My dad called it “a real treat” either scrambled with eggs or made into brain gravy. To say I did not like them is an understatement, and dad couldn’t convince me then that by eating them I’d be smarter—but I believe they did work!

&n= bsp; = ; My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the Pastor talking about all of our blessings, asking us to pause and think of them. I had my long list ready.

&n= bsp; = ; It seemed world hunger wasn’t talked about as much then, at least around where I lived. Usually we hea= rd stories about Africa or other far away places needing food, shelter and oth= er things, but I don’t remember much else about it.

&n= bsp; = ; Today, I thought of a more recent time—a time I witnessed hunger at it’= ;s worst.

&n= bsp; = ; It was one of those cold, windy days of December—the kind that gives Chi= cago it’s nickname “the windy city.”

&n= bsp; = ; Each year a bus load of women from Iowa would board a tour bus at the crack of d= awn for the annual Christmas trek to Chicago.&= nbsp; Chicago, at Christmas time is breath- taking—a truly beautiful winter wonderland.

&n= bsp; = ; Trees that have lost their leaves line the streets, each decorated in white lights—musicians play beautiful carols on street corners—ice skaters glide gracefully in the center of the city, and vendors with little carts sell hot cider and roasted chestnuts.

&n= bsp; = ; The beauty of this particular trip was enhanced by gently falling snow.

&n= bsp; = ; It was on such a day that I saw hunger in it’s starkest form.=

&n= bsp; = ; Dressed in my finest and money in my purse, I hit the streets of Chicago ready to s= hop, eat roast duck of Borgoff’s and to enjoy the beauty of the Christmas season.

&n= bsp; = ; Marshall Fields was at it’s finest. As you walked half way around the block, the large store windows displayed the story of Pinocchio. Life sized animated characters made the story come to life.

&n= bsp; = ; It was after this first exhilarating visit to Marshall Fields that I saw her.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

= She was young—perhaps in her twenties.&n= bsp; She was not shabby or dirty or ragged. Her blond hair was combed. I’m not sure her light trenc= h coat was warm enough, but it was clean. She looked good.

&nb= sp; = She wasn’t carrying a tin cup seeking donations as many do on the streets= of Chicago. She was merely going quietly about her business—that of looking for food for her breakfast= .

= As the crowd of business people hurried by, they would drop scraps of “on the go breakfasts” in the large open-top garbage barrel placed on str= eet corners.

= While I waited for the sign to walk, I watched her pick up a paper plate with scr= aps of food on it. She was select= ive, picking up each morsel and looking at it before putting it in her mouthR= 12;a bit of toast, a chunk of scrambled egg.&nb= sp; She put down the piece of mushroom.= She was slow and deliberate. I walked on ahead and as far as I could see back, she was still there looking for food.

= I can’t say that I gave up shopping or eating roast duck, but all I did that entire day was done with a heavy heart.

= As I grow older, being thankful is not just a feeling I get at Thanksgiving. Daily, as I read about the homeles= s, the hungry, the abused—of families torn apart by drugs, alcohol, unfaithfulness—I realize more than ever how much I have to be truly grateful for. =

= And—the more I have, the more I must give—the more I must care for my brothers and sisters—to love my neighbors as myself.

= Jesus said, “In so much as you have done it to one of my brothers, my frien= d, you have done it to me.”

= What would the Lord have you do—what would the Lord have me do?=

= Lord, not just in November, but everyday, help me share my wealth and your love w= ith those around me—and watch their eyes light up!

= Sharing, giving and loving my neighbor as myself!&n= bsp; What a great way to live!

= THANKS, LORD!<= /p>

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Baby Quilts: Quilting will be November 10th. We meet in the kindergarten ro= om at 1:00 p.m. and at 7:00 p.m. Come join us; all are welcome. If you want to learn to quilt, or are an experienced quilter, the Lord can= use your talents. As we quilt= , we pray for the little ones who will use the quilts and also for their families.

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Charge Conference= date = has been set for November 22^nd.= Anyone interested in attending is welcome. It will begin with a covered dish dinner at 4:30 at the Trinity United Methodist Church located= at 118 W Main St., Walnut Bottom. Look in future worship folders for additional details.

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Novembe= r 15^th

chasmk@= hotmail.com

3D"THANK = &= nbsp;

Thank You to Capital Funds Campaign Leadership Team:

&n= bsp; I want to take this opportunity to thank the Leadership Team from our Capital Campaign. You have worked diligently, and your efforts have made a difference for the future ministri= es of Messiah Church. And to tho= se committee members, and to all who participated in any way, “Thank You.” = Pastor Kevin Hughes

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Promotion Sunday was held on August 24th = in the Sanctuary for children in Nursery II to 6th grade. Teachers gave the children certificates and goodie bags for their promotio= n to new classes. The Children's Department also sang their theme song from the summer. Thank you teachers for all of your hard work and dedicati= on teaching and working with our children all year. Thank you parents for bringing your children to Sunday School and helping with special activities when the need arises.

NOVEMBER 15^th=

Editor: Chasity Johnson

Phone: (717) 530-1227

Email: chasmk@hotmail.com